South Korea to Pay the Huge Bill Racked Up by North Korean Cheer Squad

FREELOADERS

Updated Feb. 14, 2018 6:36AM ET / Published Feb. 14, 2018 5:39AM ET

Everyone knows someone who orders the most expensive thing at a restaurant and then tries to wriggle out of paying their share of the bill. It turns out North Korea has around 400 of them. South Korea will pick up the $2.6 million tab for the North Korean delegation at the Winter Olympics, the bulk of which was racked up by the country’s massive cheerleading squad and a few tae kwon do performers. The majority of the North’s delegation is reported to have stayed at luxury hotels in Seoul and near the Olympic venues in Pyeongchang. On top of the $2.6 million bill, the cost of hosting the 22 North Korean athletes will be picked up by the International Olympic Committee, and the senior North Korean delegation’s bills—including those of Kim Jong Un’s sister—will be paid using a separate fund from the South Korean government.